Pages

Monday, April 29, 2013

Sunday

No rest here, though I'm in need of a day off! Yesterday morning I managed to get the strawberries cut up for jam. Then my parents brought my grandmother by to see the baby goats. Jeff traded for this Kubota last week. It's my Mothers' Day/Birthday/Anniversary present. I was able to buckle Grandma in (she's 96) and drive her right into the pasture to meet everyone.

While she was here, another friend and her girls came to see the babies. Then my kids got home from running through poison ivy around the church's new land and needed to be cleaned up STAT. The berries got put in the fridge for later. In the middle of all this, my BFF called to tell me her goat had just kidded- boy/girl twins. That's 4 days of kids!

When everyone left around 3:00, it was time to disbud Iris and Scilla's boys. I can't stop second-guessing myself on this. I burned them all down to nice copper rings like the disbudder directions and Fiasco Farm say to do, but then I read stuff about people burning to white (bone). I know it's not doing me any good to worry about it, but I can't stop.

Phoebe is still not thrilled with her little Iris. I caught Iris nursing on Scilla twice yesterday. Phoebe won't let her nurse unless I distract her. I put Phoebe on the stand last night and Iris got her belly full. Poor little girl. You can see the copper ring well in this picture. I am doing April and Fawn on Wednesday.

So after playing baseball with the kids and grilling venison burgers for dinner, hubby and I started the jam at 8:30. We finished about 10:00.

Out of the 10 baby goats we got this year. The ones that were dehorned the best were done youngest maybe a week old or less. The others were done at 2 weeks old. Out of the older batch there is one with scurs, but she is questionable, because we think she might be a hermaphrodite. (She was chattering like a buck. So maybe hormones are playing a role in her horn growth). All of them were burned to a copper ring.

Wow, that's a busy day! I know I'd be exhausted by the time I was through with all that. I do have to say it is such a joy being willing to share kids (& other critters) with friends, neighbors, and relatives. Seeing the smiles and amazement on their faces is so wonderful and makes the heart warm. :) I don't like disbudding either, but it's got to be done. Thankfully, the kids forgive and forget pretty quickly! I haven't seen any tortoises where we live, but if there were, I'd rescue them. :)